Balance boards are devices are meant to train and strengthen muscle groups used to maintain balance. There have been a number of balancing boards developed over the years. Some are meant for skating, surfing, siding, snowboarding, and the like. The basic design usually involves a platform and a member that acts as a pivot point. The pivot point can be stationary or moveable. Generally, balance boards only pivot along a single axis. These devices do not give a realistic reproduction of total balance. Balancing boards are currently designed simply for training a user for balance; none have been integrated for handle-pass training.
Extreme water sports are very popular and growing fast today. Our device is mainly aimed at wakeboarding, wakeskating, and kiteboarding. Wakeboarding and wakeskating are both performed by holding on to a rope being pulled behind a boat or by a self-powered cable, while standing on a board that planes on the surface of the water. Kiteboarding utilizes a kite as the means for propelling the user through the water. These sports are very progressive, including rotations, aerial spins, flips, and the like. While in the air, the user is required to pass the handle from one hand to the other while spinning or flipping, often behind the back. This requires a great amount of skill, coordination, and balance.
What is desired is a training device for improving a person's balance, coordination, and skills respective to a maneuver commonly referred to as a handle pass.